my bank account problem?

Question

am having some problems opening an account at the bank.
ive been trying to open a new bank account for myself but am having difficulties doing this due to my credit rating being crap as a few years ago i was a very lazy student.
i dont want an account to borrow money or anything like that.
i dont want to have credit cards or overdfats i just want a normal account with a standard debit card like visa so i can purchase things on the net and pay for things chip and pin.
does anyone have any advice or information on this and how to get around it???

Answer 1

Go to Barclays and ask them and find out WHY you can't and WHEN you will be able to.

Answer 2

Been there, done that, got the perfect solution :)

NatWest Step account.

You only get a paying in book, but you do get a chip and pin Solo/Maestro debit card.
You also get a little interest on any money you have in.
Naturally you can have wages paid in and direct debits can go out.
It's also valid for a Paypal account.

After 6 month or so, when they are satisfied with how it's running you can apply for a regular branch account with a cheque book - if you want.

Don't take the Gold Advantage (default) account though, it costs £12 a month for the privilege (noting that some people do benefit from this option).

Once you have a standard cheque account, it all likelihood they will trust you with visa type debit card.

Answer 3

I would go back into your past and see where your credit problems are. If you owe money and you are either not paying or paying a high interest it would be wise to address the issue head on. I had some some credit card debt a few years ago from a stressful period and I had to first curb spending and pay back my debt through consolidation. The worst thing that you can do during that kind of transition is to barrow more money. I still have some credit debt but it is used only for emergency times or costly repairs. I was always under control of my debt but it only takes about six months with out a job to put yourself in a suicidal situation. For twenty years I never had more than $3000 credit card debt and that is a good number to keep it below. I guess the average American is somewhere around $8000 in debt on credit cards. It can be a terrible problem.

Answer 4

This applies in the UK - you've not specified. But if you are in the UK, I'd suggest opening a basic cash card account for a few months and managing that and leaving enough spare at the end of the month so they can see you managing your account well. Even consider having a savings account with the same back. Once you've done this for a few months, most banks may be willing to offer you the next step up - a debit card. I'd suggest Nationwide.

Answer 5

You may even have difficulty at Nat West for a Step account as well. Have u got a bank account elsewhere and if not why not? Where is your salary/benefits being paid into? You must have had a bank a/c at some point in your life - what happened to it? These are all questions that the bank will ask. Best thing to do is to order your credit file from equifax and take it with you into nat west and apply for a step acc.

Answer 6

your problem may be that you are in "check systems" for a bad check or old bank fees. No other bank will open an accout for you if this is the case,, even if you clear the old debt. It's like a conspiracy or a dirty secret black list they have. Next time you go to a bank, ask them if you are in check systems and for what account. If you are you can open an account with the old bank after you pay your fees. It clears after 7 years,, but, once your up and running with the old bank, about 3 mos, you can open a new account at a bank of your choice, then close your old account.. Ha!. Thats how you do it. they won't tell you either, unless you ask them. A-holes!.

Answer 7

I've never had a bank do a credit check for opening a checking or savings account. Try a different bank. If you were not just lazy when you were a student and you also bounced a lot of checks or wrote fraudulent checks - then you may never get an account at a bank. But I never heard of not getting an account for bad credit.

Answer 8

All banks offer a basic account with a debit card like Solo or Electron.

There's no facilities for credit - but you can use the card to pay for things online - and you can set up direct debits etc.

You don't need a good credit rating for one of these accounts - just be able to demonstrate who you are.

I find these accounts useful in addition to my current account.

Answer 9

Co-op bank and Nationwide both have "Basic" accounts that offer no overdraft, credit cards etc. But they do allow standing orders, direct debits and a debit card.
Both accounts are available to people with a poor credit rating. They even open accounts for non-discharged bankrupts and people with IVAs.

Answer 10

The Post Office offers a simple bank account - you can have a cash card, standing orders/direct debits and the like.

After a few years try transferring it to a high street bank.

Answer 11

I have a TERRIBLE credit rating, but I managed to get a current account with lloyds tsb. They gave me a visa debit card, cheque guarentee, all the rest. Halifax refused me and so did another.

I'd try there to be honest if you havent already. T x